Easy & Simple Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken

Name: Easy & Simple Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 6 min
Total time: 16 min
Ingredients: 1.25 lb skinless boneless chicken thighs (or substitute with chicken breast but see Notes below); 1-2 tbsp vegetable oil (or any neutral oil); 1 stalk lemongrass (use white parts only and do not use the green parts); 1 shallot; 2 cloves garlic; 2 tablespoon brown sugar (or palm sugar/coconut sugar/cane sugar); 2 tbsp lime juice (freshly squeezed); 2 tablespoon fish sauce; 1 tablespoon regular soy sauce (not dark soy sauce); 1/4 tsp black pepper; 1/4 cup water (room temperature or cold); 1/4 cup white granulated sugar; 3 tbsp fish sauce; 3 cloves garlic (minced); 1 red chili pepper (finely chopped)

Jump to Recipe Video

Tender chicken thighs seasoned in a sweet, savory lemongrass marinade and served with a tangy Vietnamese dipping sauce. This quick and easy Vietnamese lemongrass chicken is made with simple ingredients and great for the family!

Jump to:

Ingredients & Substitutes
Expert Tips
Instructions
Storage & Reheating
Pairing Suggestions
FAQ
📖 Recipe
💬 Reviews

Lemongrass chicken features juicy chicken thighs marinated in a sweet and savory marinade made of fresh lemongrass paste, shallots, garlic, brown sugar or palm sugar, lime juice, fish sauce, soy sauce and black pepper.

This popular and classic chicken dish originates from Vietnam, Southeast Asia and often served at Vietnamese restaurants as a main.

The chicken is usually served with a sweet and tangy dipping sauce, called Nước Chấm, over white rice or rice vermicelli noodles, fresh lime wedges, cucumbers, tomatoes and a crispy egg roll (aka Chả Giò).

In Vietnamese cuisine, lemongrass chicken thighs can also be served in soup noodle bowls, rice bowls or in a banh mi sandwich. This chicken dish is very versatile and delicious, thanks to it's complex flavors and one of my favourite Vietnamese foods.

Ingredients & Substitutes

Please scroll down to below recipe card for exact measurements.

ingredients to make vietnamese lemongrass chicken

Chicken Thighs: skinless boneless chicken thighs or skin-on boneless thighs will both work. Or substitute with chicken breasts and slice them into half so they're about the same thickness as chicken thighs and cook until an internal temperature of 160 F and allowing residual heat carry over the cooking process.
Neutral oil: like avocado oil, sunflower oil, grapeseed oil, peanut oil, vegetable oil or canola oil. Avoid olive oil, coconut oil or any heavy scented oils.

Marinade

Fresh Lemongrass Stalk: only use the tender white parts and avoid using the hard green parts. Or substitute with frozen pre-minced lemongrass or lemongrass paste sold at Asian grocery stores.
Shallot: or substitute with onion.
Garlic
Brown Sugar / Palm Sugar: to give the chicken a molasses flavor that you can't get in white sugar.
Fresh Lime Juice: or substitute with lemon juice as a last resort.
Fish Sauce: a common ingredient used in Southeast Asian cooking made of fish oils and salt offering an umami flavor! If you're gluten free, use a gluten-free fish sauce. As a last resort, substitute oyster sauce or vegetarian stir fry sauce.
Regular soy sauce: or substitute with low sodium soy sauce or light soy sauce. If you’re gluten-free, substitute with tamari sauce, coconut aminos or a gluten-free soy sauce. Avoid using dark soy sauce if possible.
Black pepper

Nước Chấm Dipping Sauce

Water: room temperature or cold
White Granulated Sugar: or substitute with palm sugar, brown sugar, coconut sugar or cane sugar.
Fish sauce
Garlic
Red Chili Pepper: you may use Thai bird's eye red chili which is extremely spicy or any large red chili. If you prefer the sauce less spicy, de-seed the chilis.

Note: Most Asian grocery stores will carry these fresh ingredients. You may find some at your select grocery store or online, like on Amazon.

Expert Tips

Use chicken thighs over chicken breast for best taste and texture because thigh meat is darker and fattier.
Only use the white part of the lemongrass and avoid the hard green stems as the harder parts are not pleasant to eat and most of the flavor is in the white part.
Blend marinade well to finely grind lemongrass into a smooth paste or you'll be chewing on hard pieces of lemongrass.
Poke holes into the chicken thighs with a fork before marinating the chicken. The holes allow for the marinade to seep into the meat.
Avoid moving the chicken in the pan around to get a nice sear and char. Browning the chicken gives the dish more flavor!
Clean out burned bits in the pan between batches. The burnt bits will offset the flavor and give the chicken a bitter taste.
Don't overcook the chicken and use a digital cooking thermometer. Cooked chicken has an internal temperature of 165 F.

Instructions

Below are step-by-step instructions on how to make Vietnamese lemongrass chicken with Nước Chấm:

Into a blender or food processor, blend marinade ingredients until it's a smooth paste. There shouldn't be any large pieces of lemongrass or it'll be unpleasant to eat.

Into a blender or food processor, blend marinade ingredients until it's a smooth paste. There shouldn't be any large pieces of lemongrass or it'll be unpleasant to eat.

Transfer skinless boneless chicken thighs to a large bowl or a resealable bag. Pour marinade over the chicken thighs and marinate for at least 1 hour, or overnight.

Transfer skinless boneless chicken thighs to a large bowl or a resealable bag. Pour marinade over the chicken thighs and marinate for at least 1 hour, or overnight.

Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large non-stick pan on medium-high heat. Remove chicken from the marinade shaking off any excess marinade. Fry chicken in small batches in a single layer giving each piece enough space. Cook chicken on the first side for 3-4 minutes until golden brown and charred in some areas.

Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large non-stick pan on medium-high heat. Remove chicken from the marinade shaking off any excess marinade. Fry chicken in small batches in a single layer giving each piece enough space. Cook chicken on the first side for 3-4 minutes until golden brown and charred in some areas.

Reduce to medium heat and flip chicken over and fry on the other side for 2 minutes until browned and juices run clear or an internal temperature of 165 F. Immediately remove cooked chicken from pan. Make sure to clean the pan of the burned marinade between batches and add another tablespoon of vegetable oil to fry the next batch.

Reduce to medium heat and flip chicken over and fry on the other side for 2 minutes until browned and juices run clear or an internal temperature of 165 F. Immediately remove cooked chicken from pan. Make sure to clean the pan of the burned marinade between batches and add another tablespoon of vegetable oil to fry the next batch.

In a small bowl, combine Nước Chấm ingredients as listed together. Serve as a dipping sauce with chicken.

In a small bowl, combine Nước Chấm ingredients as listed together. Serve as a dipping sauce with chicken.

Storage & Reheating

Leftovers will last up to 4 days stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. To reheat: microwave for 2-3 minutes until hot or reheat in a pan on medium heat.
Freezer friendly? This can be stored in a freezer friendly bag after cooling down and frozen up to 3 months or until you see freezer burn. To reheat, defrost it and reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop in a pan.

Pairing Suggestions

Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken serves well with:

steamed rice, brown rice, cauliflower rice, or rice noodles
starters like Goi (Vietnamese Salads), Bánh xèo (Vietnamese sizzling pancake), Vietnamese Chicken Wings, Vietnamese Egg Rolls (Chả giò) or Vietnamese Spring Rolls (Goi Cuon)
Vietnamese Phở or Bún Bò Huế (Vietnamese spicy noodle soup)
Bun Ga Nuong (grilled lemongrass chicken noodle bowl) or Bún Thịt Nướng (grilled pork noodle bowl
Bánh mì (Vietnamese sandwich)

FAQ

Can I make lemongrass chicken in advance?

Lemongrass chicken can be made up to 4 days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge. To reheat, microwave or in a pan on the stovetop on medium heat.

Can I grill or air fry lemongrass chicken?

Lemongrass can be grilled and cooking time should roughly be the same as the recipe instructions.

To air fry lemongrass chicken: Lightly spray air fryer basket with neutral oil or line the basket with an air fryer liner (made of parchment paper). Place marinated chicken thighs into single layer and do no overlap. You may need to air fry in batches depending on the size of your air fryer. Air fry chicken at 400 F for 8-10 minutes until you reach an internal temperature of 165 F with an instant read digital thermometer or until juices run clear. No need to flip over.

Can I substitute the chicken with another protein?

Yes, feel free to substitute with beef steak, pork shoulder, pork chops, pork belly, extra-firm tofu, shrimp, or even white fish.

📖 Recipe